Road to El Dorado: Three Deities
by CactusPalooza
Summary: It was never on Emilia's list of 'get rich quick' plans to find a city of gold and act as one of their divine figures, but with her brother and his companion by her side it could work.
1. A Circumstantial Reunion

**Hi! This is my first time posting here, excuse any errors I make. I'm open for reviews and constructive criticism, so please tell me what you think. I've only seen Road to El Dorado once, so I apologize if the characters are a little OOC. The first three chapters will be short because I wrote them all in one day, but I'm going to spend more time on the others. I don't own any rights to the characters mentioned except for Emilia and anyone else I will create in later chapters. I also apologize for the lack of good plot in these, they are mostly just building up to something else that I don't really know yet, as I'm making this up as I write it.**

Ch. 1 - A Circumstantial Reunion

She hopped from rooftop to rooftop, sliding down shingles onto the busy street.

"See ya later, Slick!" She ducked into an ally, her fiery red hair disappearing into the darkness. A man appeared out of nowhere, almost knocking her off her feet. The man caught her, correcting her balance.

"Watch out! Why are you running?" The large man she'd just swindled burst out of the crowd.

"It gets me places. Gotta go, Sweets." She wrestled her way out of his grip and made the quickest escape she could, diving into a box full of apples on the dock. She closed the lid and decided to wait until she was sure the search had died down before leaving. Strangely, she felt like she was moving. While she was waiting she hid the money in a secret pocket under her corset. Counting to three, she burst out of the crate, finding herself surrounded by burly men on a ship. She was dragged into the captain's quarters, kicking and biting all the way there.

"Ah, so you are the delinquent who stole from one of my men. Emilia, is it? Well, we don't take kindly to stowaways." The voice growled. When Cortes stepped out of the shadows she bust out laughing at his hair.

"Yeah, okay Shirley." Emilia rolled her eyes. His nostrils flared.

"Into the dungeon." Cortes ordered.

"Really? I will battle you!" She proposed, but she was dragged off anyway. Soon after, two other people were thrown in, one of which looked vaguely familiar.

"What are you in for?" The dark haired one asked, leaning against the wall.

"Sneaking on the ship, although I would call it more of a kidnapping." The blonde's head snapped up.

"Emilia? I thought you were in England?"

"I thought the same of you, Starshine." They hugged, not having seen each other for years.

"So you're the one I fenced before. I want a rematch." The one she now recognized as Tulio frowned, crossing his arms.

"I won fair and square, Ponytail."


	2. A Plan Executed

**Same thing with the last chapter, I don't own any characters accept for Emilia, the chapter is extremely short. Reviews welcome!**

Ch. 2 - A Plan Executed

Two days is how long it took somebody to come up with a plan.

"I got it!" Tulio exclaimed, dropping to the floor to demonstrate. "In the dead of night, us three will grab provisions, hijack one of those longboats, and then we row back to Spain like there's no mañana!"

"All the way back?" Miguel asked, sounding only slightly hesitant.

"Okay, but how do we get on deck?"

"...In the dead of night, the three of us will grab provisions, hijack one of those longboats, and then we row back to Spain like there's no mañana." He replied, doing the exact same demonstration he did with the previous answer.

"You don't have a plan, do you?"

"No."

"Good, cause I have one." Emilia pulled the pouch of pesetas out of her corset, tossing it to Miguel. "In that bag is 300 pesetas and a rock of gold. We'll bribe the guard for the keys, get out, and execute the plan."

"300 pesetas!" Tulio asked incredulously, his eyes widening.

"More importantly, gold!?" Miguel opened the bag to check, pulling out a lump of gold the size of an apple seed.

"Yep, swindled a guy out of it today. Angry I'm doing better than you?"

"Oh, shut up and bribe him." She took the bag and stepped up on a crate, peeking out of the lower deck. "Pssst! Hey, over here!" Reluctantly, the guard got up and glared down at her. "How would you like to trade?"

"No."

"Wait, you haven't heard my offer yet! For the keys to the lock I will trade you 300 pesetas and a gold rock." His eyes widened at the gold, but he didn't seem to believe her. She dumped the bag out on their empty tray of food, displaying it. "What do you say?" After minutes of deliberation he left, and she thought he wasn't going to come back until the keys fell by her feet. To make sure they were real she unlocked the door, climbing out. "Well, that was easy." She rammed him in the stomach, pushing him overboard and almost falling over too.

"Grab a crate of food, let's go!" Tulio's plan went flawlessly, except for the rowing back to Spain part. They rowed for days, their arms and stomachs aching. They ran out of food during a storm when the boat flipped. Many times Emilia thought she saw something, but she never believed it.

"Miguel," Tulio said groggily. "You've made my life full of adventure."

"And you've made my life rich." Miguel sobbed.

"And you two have made my life depressing. We aren't going to die, come on and row!"


	3. Boat Docked

**Hopefully, this will be the last of the short chapters. Enjoy!**

Ch. 3 - Boat Docked

Emilia woke up to sand brushing her fingertips.

"Miguel! Tulio!" They startled themselves awake, rolling off the boat. "We're on land!" As if they didn't register they weren't in water before, their eyes widened. They rolled around on the beach, laughing crazily in delight. Simultaneously they screamed, backing toward the boat. "What? Did you see a snake?" They pointed to what she was standing on, a skeleton half buried in the sand. She screamed too, scrambling onto the boat. "All in favor of going back to Spain?"

"I," Tulio answered, taking up a paddle. Miguel walked toward a rock, looking at a piece of paper.

"We could use some help, Miguel!"

"I-It's here! It's all here! The rocks, the stream, even the mountains!"

"You kept the map, but you didn't grab more food?!" Tulio yelled, threatening him with the paddle he was holding. She leaned forward, trying to get a look at the map he was so angry about.

"You said it yourself, it could be real, and it is! The road to El Dorado," he said wistfully. Tulio looked at Emilia with a raised eyebrow, who shrugged in response.

"...You drank the sea water didn't you?" She asked in complete seriousness.

"I'm not stepping in that forest for a million pesetas." Tulio said, stepping into the boat. Emilia crossed her arms, nodding in agreement.

"What about one hundred million pesetas?" Miguel asked, walking up to her and slinging his arm around her shoulder. "El Dorado is, after all, the city of gold. You know, dust, nuggets, bricks, a temple of gold where you can pluck gold off the very walls, but you don't want to go, so let's get back in the boat and row to Spain. After all, it worked so well last time."

"New plan," Tulio said quickly. "We find the city of gold, take the gold, and then we go back to Spain."

"And buy Spain!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Miguel enthused, picking up a sword from the skeleton. "Come on, you two, let's follow that trail!" He pointed the sword to a tangle of green leaves and vines.

"What trail?"

"The trail that we blaze!" He answered, cutting down the vines. As they fell it revealed a large stone. Emilia looked at Tulio skeptically. "That trail that we blaze!" They sighed but followed him anyway.


	4. The Trail Blazed

**This is a bit of a longer chapter, as promised.**

Ch. 4 - The Trail Blazed

It was hours before they encountered the next sign, the bird in the ceiling.

"Great, only five more to go." She grumbled, popping her back. "What happens if El Dorado is a fake?" They had no time to ponder the question, as thundering hooves echoed through the little tunnel. A large animal shadow stood by the entrance, crouched low as it sniffed the ground.

"It's just a horse, guys." Miguel laughed, walking up to it and petting it on the head. It nuzzled into his hand like a cat.

"Oh great, another mouth to feed." Emilia groaned, hiding a smile. Refusing to leave it behind, Miguel grabbed the reigns and it obediently followed, but not before receiving an apple.

"I'll call you Altivo." They heard a little crunch and Tulio yell.

"Your horse just bit me on the butt!"

"Maybe if you didn't have such a cute butt he wouldn't be tempted." Emilia teased, sticking out her tongue. Thick, coarse hair hit her in the face, a few strands flying into her mouth.

"I could say the same about your face." Tulio replied, patting her back while she spit and sputtered. They had to take shelter next to a lake that night, as darkness came quicker than expected. The next morning she was the first awake, ending up next to the horse.

"Hey, Horchata, hand me that map." As she should have first expected, he didn't do anything. Getting it herself, she noticed something similar to the picture on the map embedded in the rock on the other side of the lake. "Wake up!" She yelled, whistling loudly next to their ears. "We gotta go!" Miguel and Tulio sat up at the same time, their eyes not fully open.

"Why?"

"You said it yourself, the trail we blaze! You need to be quick to cause fire." She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, waiting for them to get up. "That's the same sign as on the map." Emilia pointed across the water to the carving, which quickly woke them up. "I'm taking Horchata over, who's with me?" Miguel climbed on and waited for Tulio.

"I'm crossing, I don't need that stupid horse." They shrugged, setting into a gallop across the lake. They had no problem, but Tulio encountered a piranha that bit him on the backside.

"Remember what I said about your butt!" She called, laughing along with Miguel. After he made it across, they detached the fish and cooked it, but an armadillo took it and ran off into the woods. She threatened to cook it instead, but they had to get moving again. Altivo took off into a sprint and they followed, getting splashed by warm water when he jumped into a spring. Miguel and Tulio hastily stripped and jumped in beside him, apparently forgetting she was there. "You know, Ponytail, I was joking before, but it really is nice." The tone of her voice made it obvious she was playing.

"Why are you so obsessed with my butt?"

"Maybe it's not your butt and it's just you."

"Then you should get your pretty little face over here and get in." They glared at each other.

"Only if you take your beautiful eyes and look behind you."

"And why is that if the masterpiece is in front of me?"

"Because monkeys are stealing your clothes." True to her word, two monkeys were running off while wearing his shirt and pants. He scrambled after them, yelling and naked as the day he was born. Miguel laughed, kicking his feet up. "You shouldn't be laughing, they got your clothes, too." His eyes widened and he took off. "Idiots." She said lovingly, glancing at the horse. It gave her a look like it agreed. After finding them, itching and scratching in their tic infested clothes, they set off again. In only hours did darkness come, along with a rainstorm. They spent the night under a giant leaf, huddled together for warmth. The next morning they had a quick breakfast and crammed on the horse, starting their journey again. Somehow they turned the map upside down without realizing it and did a complete circle, correcting it and heading in the opposite direction.

"That rock sort of looks like you." Tulio pointed out, stopping by a large waterfall that looked like a woman crying.

"No, it doesn't. I'm not grey, and you have never seen me cry."

"Do you even cry? You don't look like the type of person that would-"

"Guys! There's only one more!" Miguel exclaimed in delight, practically dragging them away from the rock. By dusk they found the next sign, not bothering to rest although it was dark. When the light came so did fog, clouding their vision.

"Are we getting closer?" Tulio complained, holding on to the horse's tail.

"I don't know, Ponytail, maybe you should ask the fog!" Almost immediately after she said that the ground beneath them creaked, cracked, and fell. They screamed the entire way down, rolling down a hill and smacking into a rock.

"Miguel, hey, Miguel, wake up." She heard Tulio whisper. "We're here." She snapped up too, looking around and seeing nothing but swamp and a big rock.

"We've found it? How far?" Miguel asked hysterically, looking around and analyzing everything.

"Right here."

"Where?"

"Here."

"Behind this rock?"

"No, this is it." Miguel took the map from his hands. Emilia looked over his shoulder, the last thing on the map being the exact thing they were staring at. "Apparently, El Dorado is native for great big rock!" He screamed angrily, his voice echoing off the walls. She looked around, the horse doing the same. "But I'll tell you what, I'm feeling generous, so you and Emilia can have my share." He mounted the horse, extending an arm so she could get on.

"You don't think Cortes could have gotten here before us?"

"And what, taken all the really big rocks? Those scoundrels." She sighed, climbing on behind him. "Come on, at least we got a sibling vacation, right?"

"Y-You have to think about this, we've come all this way a-a-and we sh-should-"

"Get. On. The. Horse." Tulio and Emilia growled at the same time, glaring murderously at him. He frowned deeply, looking like a hurt puppy as he squeezed on.

"Oh, not with the face." She pleaded, turning away.

"There's probably a pass, right over there." Before they could move a woman that came out of nowhere crashed into the front of the horse, startling it. Behind the rock they saw a group of men with spears emerging from the waterfall. They tried to get the horse to go forward, but the men were in front of them. They looked surprised to see them. The woman took whatever she was holding and threw it at Tulio, who threw it back, only to have it thrown again. This went on for minutes. He looked at the men and laughed nervously before the thing hit him in the side of the face

"Um, hello, is this your rock? Sorry, we were just looking. We're, uh, we're tourists, yeah, tourists. We lost our group, may we go now?" One of the men, the leader in clothing made from some sort of big cat, pointed his spear at Tulio's throat.

**Horchata is a type of milk drink mainly used in Spain and Latin America, hence Altivo's nickname. The flirting between Emilia and Tulio is not to be taken seriously, it is only playful.**


	5. Arrival

**Here comes Chel!**

Ch. 5 - Arrival

Behind the waterfall was a completely different place. There was a slow moving river and a boat they were pushed into across from the woman from earlier. They rode down the river and through vines until they emerged in a city shining in the sun.

"El Dorado..." Miguel grinned, looking around. People suddenly flooded the streets, staring.

"Um, Tulio? Did you plan for this?"

"Run?" He asked as the front of the boat hit land. They didn't have time. The minute they were back on the horse they were being escorted up to the steps of a temple. A large, thick man and a scrawny one who resembled a bird emerged from it.

"The time of judgement is upon us!" The skinny man said. "Citizens, did I not predict the gods would come to us?" He bowed in front of them. Emilia looked at him strangely, and she could tell Tulio and Miguel were just as confused. "My lords and lady, I am Tzekel-Kan, your devoted high priest and speaker for the gods."

"Hey," Tulio greeted. They waved tentatively.

"I am Chief Tanibak," the fat man greeted back. "What names may we call you?"

"I am Emilia." She said boldly, sliding off of the horse. "They are Miguel and Tulio."

"They call us Emilia, Miguel, and Tulio." Miguel confirmed, getting his foot caught in Altivo's reigns but trying to play it off.

"My lords and lady, how long will you be staying in El Dorado?" The chief asked. Tezekel-Kan caught sight of the woman, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her away.

"I see you've caught this temple robbing thief." He said coldly. "How will you have us punish her?"

"No, no, no, no, no! My lord, I am not a thief! The gods sent me a vision to bring them tribute from the temple to guide them here! My only wish is to serve the gods."

"Release her." Tulio said without hesitation. Miguel let out a sigh of relief, and Emilia furrowed her brow. Although she had been in the woman's situation before, there was something about her that she didn't like.

"You will start by returning this to it's rightful place." He pushed the gold item into her hands, shoving her toward the steps. She smiled gratefully.

"My lords and lady, why now do you choose to visit us?"

"Enough!" Tzekel-Kan exclaimed, pushing the chief back. "Do not question the gods!"

"That's right! Do not question us, or we will have to unleash our awesome and terrible power, and you don't want that."

"Yes, we do!" Tzekel-Kan grinned. "Visit your wrath upon this nonbeliever, show us the truth of your divinity!" Tulio and Emilia glared at him with fire in their eyes.

"Yes, divinity," She said, grabbing Miguel's arm. "Excuse us." They dragged him away from the crowd. "You know that little voice in your head that tells you to quit while you're ahead? You don't have one!"

"I got carried away."

"Way away!" Tulio chastised. They began to argue and push. Emilia tried to pry them apart when the ground rumbled.

"Stop it!" She whisper yelled, but they didn't listen. "Stop! STOP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice echoing off the streets. The thing that caused the rumbling, a volcano, she discovered, stopped it's eruption like it was going in reverse, letting out a small puff of smoke instead. The people dropped to their knees, bowing. She posed in victory, approaching the chief. He and the priest bowed as well.

"My lady," Tanibak said. "Your dress is torn. I shall have the tailor make you a whole new wardrobe."

"I should like the thread to be gold." She said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. Tzekel-Kan will show you to your temple."

"Right, temple." Miguel repeated to Tulio. They walked up the large steps, the priest and chief seemingly having no problem. She was the first up, huffing and aching. Miguel and Tulio were behind her, barely making it up. They posed like they were having no problem when they turned around. Altivo was the last up, arriving after they'd already entered.

"To commemorate your arrival I propose a reverent ceremony at dawn."

"Then, perhaps I can prepare a glorious feast for you tonight?" The chief asked.

"Which would you prefer?" Emilia looked at Miguel, who looked at Tulio, who looked at her.

"Both?" They all asked at the same time.

"Both. Both is good."

"My lords and lady." They bowed, closing the curtains to the temple and leaving them be. After splitting up to explore, they all met up in a big throne room.

"Hey," Miguel grinned.

"Hey hey." Tulio answered. She couldn't form a good response, busting out in joyous laughter they joined in on. Altivo splashed happily through a fountain to get to them, dancing around. "They truly think we're gods! It's an entire city of suckers! We can keep this up long enough to get the gold, then we get the hell out of here!"

"We'll be living like kings!"

"Miguel and Tulio!" He posed in front of a firelight.

"And Emilia." She reminded them, raising an eyebrow.

"And Emilia!"

"Emilia, Tulio, and Miguel, mighty and powerful gods!" They flexed, showing off to nobody.

"Hello," The woman's voice from earlier said. They screamed, jumping onto the throne before acting mighty again. She laughed at them, smiling.

"Halt, mortal, or we shall strike you with a lightning bolt!" Tulio exclaimed. He and Miguel acted like they were about to smite her, but Emilia just shook her head.

"Beware the wrath of the gods, be gone!"

"Save it for the high priest, honey, you're gonna need it." Miguel still looked like he was trying to strike her with lightning.

"Miguel, it's not working. Miguel!" Emilia yelled in his ear when he didn't stop. "We've been caught. Listen up, Legs," Her voice got quieter and more venomous with every step toward the woman she took. "If you tell anyone or anything about this, I will make sure you don't talk another day in your life." She growled. It was completely silent, her words echoing off the pillars even though she wasn't loud. She saw the woman's eyes widen and she took a step back, but she shook her head and stepped forwards.

"Don't worry about me, 'my only wish is to serve the gods.'" She quoted, grinning. "You need me."

"How so?"

"Well, you want gold, but you don't want to get caught, right? You're gonna need my help."

"What makes you think we need your help?" She did the exact same thing Miguel did to try and summon lightning, and the point was so obvious even the horse laughed.

"So, uh, who are you?" Miguel asked.

"Yeah, what's your angle?"

"No angle," she said, but quickly added, "I want in."

"In?"

"On the scam." Emilia glared holes into the side of Miguel and Tulio's heads.

"Scam? There's no scam, why would you think there's a- why?"

"So I can get out."

"I thought she just wanted in?"

"She wanted in so she can get out, moron." Emilia knocked him on the back of the head, jumping off the throne. "And no. We barely had enough food on the way here, and there is no more room on Horchata."

"Then maybe I'll tell Tzekel-Kan about your scam."

"Ooohhh, telling on us? Remember what I said about." To prove her point, she picked up the nearest object and brandished it like a weapon.

"Come on, give her a chance." Tulio took the item and set it back down. "Why do you want out?"

"You aren't the only ones who dreamed of bigger things, of adventure. You've got your reasons, and I've got mine. Let's not make it personal, okay? It's just business." She walked up to them, pushing Emilia out of the way and placing a hand on Tulio and Miguel's shoulder. Emilia growled, resisting the urge to strangle her. "So, whenever you guys go back to wherever you came from, I'm going with you.

"Ha, no, don't think so." Tulio removed her hand and crossed his arms, and so did Miguel. She grinned, nudging the woman away and taking her spot between them.

"Alright, fine, after all, I'm sure you know the proper ritual for blessing a tribute, the holiest days on the calender, oh, and of course you know about Xibalba. Okay, good luck." She patted Tulio on the cheek, walking toward the door.

"I'll figure it out, Legs, just watch!" Emilia made a rude gesture, which Miguel silently chastised her for.

"See you at the execution."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Tulio said quickly, running to stop her. "Hold it." For a moment they just stared at each other, and Emilia clenched her fist.

"Deal?" She asked, holding out her hand.

"Deal." Miguel agreed, going to shake.

"Stop! Let's just see how this works out." She pinched the woman's cheek hard enough to leave a red mark.

"Then I suppose you'll want these back." The woman held out a pair of red dice of some significance to Tulio and Miguel.

"Where'd you get those?"

"Where was she keeping them?"

"You can call me Chel, your new partner. Now put these on, your public's waiting." The woman threw clothes and headwear at them, skipping over to a chair by the door. Emilia's ears were ringing with anger and she made the same rude gesture as before, but Miguel was too distracted to notice. Miguel and Tulio started stripping out of their clothes, and she untied her corset on the opposite side of the room and slipped it off.

"Do you mind?" She asked, her voice dripping with venom.

"Yes? Oh, oh, right, sorry." She slid out of the door her feet pattering down the stairs.

"Maybe they should call this place Chel Dorado." Miguel chuckled, nudging Tulio with his elbow. Emilia frowned, it seemed like she was already replaced.

"Yeah, she's wo-whoa, trouble! Wait a minute!"

"What?"

"The little voice, remember the little voice? Just for a second imagine you have one, what would it be saying about Chel?" Transfixed and somehow already dressed, Miguel purred. "No, no, we're partners. We have a plan, remember?"

"Get the gold, go back to Spain."

"Yes! And, we're pretending to be gods. Now put Chel in the mix, what is that little voice saying? Listen carefully."

"Chel is off limits?"

"Bravo, Chel is off limits! Shake on it." They shook, and Tulio started getting dressed again.

"Besides, we're supposed to be gods, we can't give in to temptation." She felt like she had to be careful, as her toga was open on both sides and only held together by rope and knots, but she stomped over and got in their faces anyway.

"Hold up, you two." She said lowly, tying Tulio's cloth for him. "I want to make it clear, I don't want any of you getting hurt here. But, in the event either of you go after Chel, you will have an 'accident' on the stairs that may or may not kill you."

"May I escort you to your thrones?" Chel's head popped in the curtain again. Miguel and Tulio agreed, and she grudgingly walked a few steps behind them.

"Bruja," she mumbled.

**Bruja means witch in Spanish, and it's pretty obvious Emilia and Chel don't like each other.**


	6. Realization

**New OC incoming. This is another short chapter, it was just there to reveal Emilia's love interest.**

Ch. 6 - Realization

While Miguel and Tulio were having a good time dancing and singing with Chel and other townspeople, she was sitting virtually alone with only a few women around to give her food at her request. Eventually she sent them off, content with being alone with her mind.

"Excuse? My lady?" A woman dressed in the only white dress she saw said, approaching her. She fiddled with her hair, which she noted was shaved everywhere but her ponytail. Nodding her approval, she motioned for the girl to come closer. "I would like to offer jewelry as appreciation." In each of her hands was a golden earring larger than her palm with a red stone she'd never seen before in the middle. "Gold and scarlet emerald. Priceless." Emilia stared at them with wide eyes before putting them on, her ears struggling to keep them up. She tied her hair back into a braid, adjusting the heavy jewelry.

"Thank you. Pray tell, what is your name?"

"Mecatl." She answered, bowing. "Thank, my lady."

"Say, Mecatl, how would you like to spend time with me?"

"Really?" She asked in disbelief, smiling like an excited child.

"Of course. I could use company." Mecatl sat next to her on the steps, quietly carrying a one sided conversation. Near the end of the ceremony Miguel decided to visit, so she sent Mecatl off to run an errand.

"You have a crush on Tulio, don't you?"

"What?" She didn't understand why he had come to that conclusion.

"Everything you said about his butt was true, right? You meant it?"

"I mean, do you like his butt?"

"Why are you turning this around?"

"You brought it up!"

"It was a simple question, I was curious."

"If you tell him, I will personally kick you off a cliff." Miguel grinned, getting what he wanted easier than he expected.

"You love me too much for that."

"Do you want to test it?" Judging the serious look on her face, he backed off.

"Here is wine, my lady." Mecatl knelt in front of her with a full goblet, but her focus was her new knowledge and perspective of Tulio.

"You can take it, I changed my mind."


	7. Ceremonial Gold

Ch. 7 - Ceremonial Gold

The next morning, she woke up to Miguel clutching her head to his chest like a pillow, his snoring loud in her ear. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he pulled her closer.

"Good morning, my lords and lady!" Tzekel-Kan greeted enthusiastically. Miguel and Tulio snapped to awareness, screaming. She sat up with her ear ringing, popping her back.

"He's back." Miguel whispered as soon as he left.

"Oh no." They climbed out of their litter after the man.

"Hey, Chief, who changed us?" She asked, confused and somewhat disturbed.

"The gods have awakened!" Tzekel-Kan announced before he could answer, his voice thundering over the city. The citizens cheered, and Chel came by with a plate of flower petals she was throwing at their feet.

"Chel, what's going on?"

"It's not gonna be good." She answered quietly.

"This city has been offered a great blessing, and what have we done to show our gratitude? A meager celebration? The gods deserve a proper tribute!" Three servants came out, each helping to support a large golden plate with a big sack on top.

"I don't have a very good feeling about this." Emilia whispered, trying to get a better peak at the bag.

"This is a new era! The dawning of a new age demands sacrifice!" A swirl of green light and smoke enveloped the bag, shredding it into pieces and revealing a man inside bound at the wrists. The entire city, including them, gasped. Tzekel-Kan pushed the man toward a swirling whirlpool of dark water.

"I don't like this."

"Tulio, we've got to do something." Tzekel-Kan raised his weapon.

"Stop!" She yelled, stepping forward. "This is not a proper tribute." She caught the man as he fell.

"Do you not want the tribute?"

"No, no, no, we want tribute. It's just that, uh, Miguel, tell him." Miguel glared at her, and she shrugged a little apology.

"Tulio tells it best." He glared even harder at Miguel, clearing his throat when the priest turned toward him.

"The stars are not in position for this tribute!" He said quickly.

"Like he says, stars." Emilia nodded, dragging the man back toward the door.

"Can't do it, not today." Miguel lifted his feet, helping her for an excuse to temporarily leave. "Why'd you put that on me?"

"I don't know, why don't you fight me?" He shook his head, dragging her back out.

"My lords and lady, may the people of El Dorado offer you our tribute?" One by one, ladies holding platefuls of gold objects walked out and presented them. Their eyes widened and their jaws dropped. "My lords and lady, does this please you?"

"It'll do." Tulio said, crossing his arms and playing it off.

"The gods have chosen! To Xibalba?" She recalled that word from the previous night, something Mecatl had told her.

"Wait!"

"To Xibalba!" Miguel and Tulio exclaimed, drowning her out. The women approached, tossing what they were carrying into the churning water.

"Xibalba is the spirit world, idiots."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"I tried, I really did!" Chel came over, her hands on her hips, and said the same thing she just said.

"I'll take care of it." She said, pursing her lips. Emilia glared at them as they watched in horror while the gold dropped into the water.

"Stop!" Tanibak's voice boomed. "They wish to bask! Take the tribute to the god's temple!" Tulio and Miguel hastily climbed back in the litter, which she slowly followed.

"Tons of gold for me, hey!"

"Tons of gold for me, hey!"

"Tons of gold for she, hey!" They sang, laughing like idiots.

"We just became richer than the king of Spain!"

"Speaking of kings, the chief high priest seem a bit... tense."

"All we have to do is keep playing the one against the other! You know, do a little god dance, chant some mystic mumbo jumbo, dazzle them with some smoke and mirrors, then get the hell back to Spain!"

"Hey, Tulio? Do you have a plan to, you know, get all this gold back to Spain?" Emilia asked smugly, leaning on his shoulder.

"Uh... boat?"

"Well, while you two go ask for this boat, I'm going out." She patted them on the back and hopped out of the contraption. "Hey, Chel, get in, I'm taking Horchata."


	8. Envy

**This is another short chapter, but I wanted to get it posted. This story is on temporary hiatus, only for a month or so, that way school will be out and I can work on it more frequently. I will not be updating this, but I am working on a modern au that I might post. Thanks for the following and reviews, guys!**

Ch. 8 - Envy

Emilia found the girl sitting at the edge of the marketplace, her feet in the water. She looked up at the sounds of Altivo's hooves, her face lighting up.

"My lady, how is today?"

"All is fine. And you, Mecatl?"

"Absolutely positive." Mecatl grabbed her extended arm, climbing onto the horse. "Is there not a ceremony? What is happening?"

"There was, but it's over now." They started at a slow walk, stopping at a few stands so Altivo could eat. "I know you aren't my adviser, but I would appreciate your help with something."

"Yes, my lady?"

"This may sound odd, but are you in a relationship?" It was a silent ride to the temple before she answered.

"What are you asking of me?" Suddenly realizing what it sounded like she was saying, she quickly corrected herself.

"No, no, that is not at all what I am asking! You seem like a somewhat wise woman, perhaps you can tell me what to do in the case of being romantically interested in someone."

"Oh, then I can. Let them come to you, then you will not embarrass." Mecatl smiled, nodding and putting her hands on her hip like she achieved something great.

"Thanks, I guess. You want to come in?"

"I would, my lady, but am busy. Thank." So she ascended the stairs alone, humming along to Miguel's guitar.

"Hey, Miguel, is Tulio up there?"

"Yeah, he's been up there since we got back." She nodded her thanks and finished climbing the staircase. Upon entering, she found Tulio and Chel in a rather compromising position. She dragged Chel off of him, letting out a long string of curses before forming a complete sentence.

"What do you think you're doing, you dim-witted, muddy minded succubus!?" Emilia exclaimed, half raising her fist as a threat.

"What do I think I'm doing? What do you think you're doing, more like, it's obvious Tulio isn't interested in you." Chel crossed her arms, flipping her hair. Taking a deep breath, Emilia crossed her arms as well.

"Why would that matter? All I care about is my friend not being seduced by a cheap, street walking son of a bi-"

"Emilia!" Tulio shouted, pushing up his sleeves and getting between them. "I want to make it clear, you aren't my friend. You're only here because of Miguel, I didn't even want you to come along. You've barely done anything to help us, in fact it would have been better to leave you on the boat." She couldn't believe what he just said. He would never usually say anything like that, that she knew. Tears stung her eyes, but she wouldn't let Chel get the pride of seeing her down.

"Alright, fine. It's clear where your loyalty lies, and it isn't with Miguel or I." Turning quickly, she practically ran down the stairs, jumping on Altivo and setting off on a run to nowhere. She found herself in front of the high priest's temple.

"Ah, lady Emilia." Tzekel-Kan's voice rang through the room behind her, his footsteps echoing off the walls. "How may I service you?"

"Tzekel-Kan! I must apologize for my actions today, it was very disrespectful for me to refuse your sacrifice." At the mention of sacrifice his eyes lit up.

"Would you like another?"

"I would like means to travel off the island. Before ascension, I would like to travel westward. A boat, possibly?"

"Yes, yes, I can do that. When would you like it, my lady?"

"As soon as possible. I would like my boat christened with a sacrifice."


	9. Mecatl POV

**Hey, the hiatus is over! Sorry to pop in with such a short chapter after such a long time of not updating, but this chapter and chapter 10 are mostly filler for the ending. Sadly, there are only two or three chapters left after this, and they are all going to be somewhat short. But, I do have a sequel planned out, and a modern au is going to be coming out between the stories. Thanks for all the support!**

Chapter 9 - Mecatl POV

I saw lady Emilia rush down the stairs, her hair flying angrily in the breeze. At the top of the temple I could see lord Tulio and Chel, and halfway down was lord Miguel. He stopped and watched her make her way down before ascending himself. I followed, running up just a few steps behind him.

"Looks like somebody tainted her fruit." He remarked, and we all watched her red hair disappear into the street atop the white horse.

"I-I tainted her fruit." Tulio muttered pitifully, and it looked like he was going to follow her until Chel grabbed his elbow.

"What you do?" I asked, crossing my arms. I had no idea what the tainting of the fruit was about, but it sounded bad. Lord Tulio bowed his head.

"I gave in to temptation and I made a mistake. A very bad, friendship ruining mistake."

"What did you do?" Miguel repeated, half raising his wooden string machine as if to threaten him. I looked at him as well, balling my fists.

"I, uh, sort of told her that..." The rest of the sentence was too low to hear.

"Please, tell me you didn't-"

"I did. I told her she wasn't my friend and she was useless and I regret everything. I was seduced by the long-legged vixen, and I made a mistake." Chel's draw dropped, and so did mine and Miguel's. Tulio stood, his arms uncharacteristically wrapped around his chest while he tried to shrink himself. The heat of anger bubbled in my chest, forming in my words and arms as I tackled Chel. I heard the strings of Miguel's machine as he hit Tulio a few times, although a lot less viciously. Every swear and rude name I've ever heard came flying out of my mouth, every one directed toward Chel instead of the one who hurt her. Lord Miguel grabbed me around my waist, pulling me away with a little struggle, as I was angry and had my fingers twisted in the woman's hair.

"Causing another problem won't fix the bigger one." He said quietly into my ear. It must have been his divinity, because I instantly felt calmer. With a sigh, I slid out of his arms and sat on the steps. "Tulio, we need to find her. Take Chel to whatever doctor they have, I'll begin searching with Mecatl. Be quick, she does stupid things when she's upset."

**Again, so sorry for the short chapter! I already have 10 in my document manager, but I promise 11 will be longer**


	10. Preperation

**Spoiler, I guess! I spend some of this chapter describing something that won't make sense why I spent so much time on, but it will make sense in the sequel**

Chapter 10 - Preperation

Tzekel-Kan grinned, grabbing her arm and leading her through his temple.

"My lady, I thought you'd never ask. It seems as though I've been advised correctly. I already have a boat prepared, made specially for you." Inside the half darkened room was a boat three times the size she needed.

"Thank you, Tzekel-Kan. I shall leave tomorrow morning." Before she could bow, Cheif Tanibak's voice echoed through the temple. He pulled her out just as quick as he pushed her in, nonchalantly walking with her toward the main room.

"I shall have it at the docks by midnight." He whispered as the light grew brighter.

"Please, station it at a place that still leads out, but that nobody knows about. I wish to avoid clashing with the others, as they may try to come with me." She responded authoritatively, almost threateningly. The priest's eyes widened, then his mouth settled in an evil smile.

"Lady Emilia! The clothes you have requesed, tailored specially for you." Tanibak bowed, presenting a pile of clothing.

"Thank you, Cheif. I shall wear them now. Please, do not ask why, make sure nobody knows of my presence here. Tzekel-Kan, you saw me at the waterfall an hour ago. Cheif, I just finished talking with you and left. Thank you." Emilia bowed, taking the clothes and rushing back down the long hall to the room with the boat. There was no way she would be leaving in the morning, there was too much opportunity to be caught. Instead, she would make sure Tzekel-Kan stuck to his word of getting it there by midnight and depart as soon as he was gone. Her plan was to get him to help her load it up with food at the promise of sacrifice, then send him off to get another barrel and sail like there was no tomorrow. If everything went according to plan, which it barely ever did with her, she would get out undetected by anyone other than Tzekel-Kan. But she couldn't walk out empty handed, or unchanged, rather, so she made quick work of dressing, until it came to the various metals.

The material outfit was pretty simple; a pair of pants that billowed out on the legs and came to a close at the ankle, and a sleeveless shirt that formed a triangle on her chest and tied around her neck. Considering it was made of gold thread and yellow wasn't really her favorite color, it was soft and she liked it. Then there was the part about a chain with two rings on either side. She had no idea how to put it on until she saw something engraved in the wall, a woman wearing the same thing she was standing next to two men. She understood instantly that one end of the chain was supposed to go in her ear and the other in her nose. Getting it through her ear was easy, but she didn't understand how to get it to stick to he nose. That was, until she felt a quick pain and the chain stayed in place. Yep, she would be ditching that as soon as she left. Tzekel-Kan was standing just as he was when she left, but slightly more to the left.

"Ah, my lady, you look absolutely divine." He purred, bowing again. She knew he meant that she looked like a god, or goddess, whatever, but her cheeks heated in a blush anyway.

"Thank you, Tzekel-Kan. I have another favor to ask of you. When night falls, I would like the boat in the water and stocked with food. I would like to ascend first thing in the morning, and I am not keen on waiting."

"Of course, of course. Perhaps you'd like to stay here for the night?" As if she'd already answered, Tzekel-Kan pulled a curtain away to reveal a small but cushiony red room, similar to the little portable room she had previously been in. "It is the best room in the temple."

"Oh, well I guess I can stay. Thank you, Tzekel-Kan. I shall sleep now, as I would like to assist you in the moving of the boat." She plopped down on the bed, feeling like she was sitting on a cloud.

"No, no, I insist, I shall have it done."

"Then I shall check it over after you are done. It is settled, and I will not have another word on it." Reaching forward and closing the curtain, she kicked back and tried to fall asleep, finding it all too easy.


	11. The End

**Oh no, it's the end :(! No worries, as I am working on the modern au as promised, as well as a sequel, both of which will come out during the summer.**

Chapter 11- The End

Emilia woke up to moonlight streaming through her window and footsteps outside the curtain. In sleepy surprise she rolled off the bed, grabbing the sheets and pulling them off on top of her.  
"Lady Emilia, your ship is ready." Tzekel-Kan quietly hissed, entering the room.  
"As it should be. Please, take me there." She quickly stood and crossed her arms, strolling passed the priest.  
The boat was ready as he promised, and she checked everything over thoroughly.  
"There is one less barrel of food than there should be. Fetch another." There was actually too much, but she needed him to leave.  
"But...Yes, my lady." He was going to protest, until she gave him a threatening look. His footsteps faded away, and as soon as she was sure he was gone she jumped off the ship, untying the rope that held it there. Slowly the boat floated away, and she actually had to jump onto the rope to catch it. After she pulled herself up there was the problem of her minimal knowledge of ship steering. Somehow she managed to find her way out into the open ocean with no damage to the ship, and she was off.  
Three days. Three days it had been since she left, and it was the fifth time she saw that same rock and in the distance the same island. She couldn't convince herself she was just seeing things anymore. Had she made a mistake? Of course she had, she left her brother and friend without any word of goodbye, and she let Tulio's words get to her. She had to turn back, for her brother, and for the fact she had no idea where she was going. The boat docked on the island at sundown, but she didn't rest. Instead she ran, and she didn't stop. When they first got to the island it had taken them almost a week, but she was alone, and she had the path mapped in her mind. The original time was cut off by a day, but El Dorado was scarily quiet. The sky was dark and green smoke filtered through the streets, and the ground shook and thundered. Up on the temple, over Xibalba, she could faintly see three figures and a giant stone panther. Again she ran, this time urgent as the cat crawled toward two of them.  
"Tzekel-Kan!" Emilia yelled, panting as she came to a stop behind him. Tzekel-Kan turned his head, and so did the panther. "Stop. I may not know Tzekel-Kan, but this is not him! This is greed, and envy, and hatred for the world that is misdirected!" Stepping around the thing he was controlling, she came to a stop in front of her partners. Tulio and Miguel stood dumbfounded behind her, watching with wide eyes.  
"Hmm, so the traitor returns." He growled, luminescent green eyes staring coldly at her. "I thought you'd never come back."  
"Cut the formalities. Put the panther down." She demanded calmly, taking a step forward. A giant stone paw came down next to her, shaking the ground.  
"Emilia!" Miguel yelled, reaching for her without leaving his spot. She took another step forward, then another, until she was face to face with him.  
"Tzekel-Kan, please. It's not too late, not yet." Emilia placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling and looking him straight in the eyes. His murderous expression dropped for a second, then it came back in an evil snarl. Without thinking, she punched him straight in the nose, a sharp crunch making her stomach knot. "Guys, run!" They did, but they wouldn't leave without her. She was wrestling with Tzekel-Kan, punching and kicking while he went for scratching, the cat imitating everything above them. Tulio tried to pull her off, but it was no use, as the priest's fingernails were embedded deep in her shoulder. Blood dripped down her arm, her cheek, anywhere that he had touched left deep scratches.  
"You wanted a sacrifice, then you shall be it!" He grinned evilly, rolling off the pier and taking her with him. The cat fell too, and the light died from his eyes. Salt burned her wounds, water filtering into her nose and mouth. The sharp hand of Tzekel-Kan closed around her throat, further cutting off her limited supply of oxygen. She fought and struggled, but she couldn't get free. Slowly, the watery world faded to black.

**I'm an evil person, aren't I?**


	12. Epilogue

**This is just a followup of the last chapter, it doesn't have to be read. It's a bit cheesy, but that was half on purpose.**

Epilogue

Tulio and Miguel weren't the same after that. Tulio didn't come up with as many crazy schemes and ideas as he used to, and Miguel wasn't as sunshiny as he used to be. Mecatl was almost more devastated than Miguel. She spent the majority of the next days crying and carrying the golden necklace she never got to give. As for Chel and the horse, the only thing that bothered them was everybody else's pain. Shortly after saving the city from Cortes, they left El Dorado on the same ship she did, painting on the side with golden paint a single name; Emilia.


End file.
